Featured Releases:
Atmosphere – Frida Kahlo Vs. Ezra Pound CD/7”x7” (Rhymesayers)
In September 2015, Atmosphere began releasing a series of individual songs digitally. In the months leading up to their new album, Fishing Blues, they released a total of seven digital singles. Much to the surprise of Atmosphere fans, none of these digital singles would appear on Fishing Blues, and they remained available as digital singles only… Until now.
Buck Owens And The Buckeroos – The Complete Capitol Singles: 1957-1966 2xCD (Omnivore)
Taken from the original mono, single reels, The Complete Capitol Singles: 1957-1966 collects all 56 sides from that period, including 13 #1’s, in their original and chronological form, newly remastered, and featuring liner notes from Buck’s autobiography (written with Randy Poe), plus an introduction by Dwight Yoakam.
Tech N9ne – The Storm CD/2xCD (Strange Music)
11th studio album from the Kansas City MC. The Storm is broken into three separate sections, each reflecting a different side of Tech’s personality. [Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds a bonus disc featuring nine additional Tech N9ne tunes and six new tracks from Strange Music artists.]
Neil Young – Peace Trail CD/Cassette (Reprise)
Peace Trail features all new songs that Young wrote since the release of his album Earth, this past June. This new album is primarily acoustic and reflects an intimate, sparse approach to each of the ten songs within. It was recorded at Rick Rubin’s Shangri-la Studios and features Young on vocals and guitar, Jim Keltner on drums, and Paul Bushnell on bass. [Vinyl edition due January 6.]
CDs + Vinyl:
Ames Brothers – Hits Collection 1948-1960 2xCD (Acrobat)
The early ’50s was a heyday for vocal groups, riding the wave of middle-of-the-road popular music in the Tin Pan Alley-dominated years before rock ‘n’ roll changed pop music forever. The Ames Brothers were one of the most popular of those groups, making their US chart debut in 1948, and racking up a lengthy string of hits over the next few years, including memorable No. 1s like “Rag Mop,” “Sentimental Me” and “You, You, You.” Their following was such that despite the upheaval that rock ‘n’ roll occasioned in the pop landscape, they continued having chart entries right through to the start of the new decade. This double-CD collection comprises all of the Billboard Top 100 entries they achieved during their career, including their UK Top 3 hit “Naughty Lady Of Shady Lane,” plus all their Cash Box Top 40 entries which did not feature in Billboard, recording initially for Coral before moving to RCA in 1953.
Arkona – Lunaris CD (Debemur Morti)
The perfect synthesis of forward-reaching pagan black metal, dark neo-classical melodicism, corrupted romanticism and raging existential power.
Asteroid – III CD/LP (Fuzzorama)
For the past ten years, Asteroid has been one of the trend setting bands in the independent psychedelic heavy rock community. With their origin in hard-hitting stoner rock, they’ve constantly been adding more musical layers to evolve their own unique brand of rock.
Chet Baker – Live In London 2xCD (Ubuntu Music)
A stunning unreleased Chet Baker session from 1983 recorded with a great UK trio. Remastered and released with permission from the Chet Baker Estate.
Black Grape – It’s Great When You’re Straight… Yeah [Reissue/1995] CD/LP (Geffen)
Just over 20 years on Black Grape’s debut, It’s Great When You’re Straight…Yeah, is a surreal, funky, profane, and perversely joyous album, overflowing with casual eclecticism and giddy humor. Working with a band that is looser and grittier than Happy Mondays, Shaun Ryder sounds reinvigorated, creating bizarre rhymes that tie together junk culture, drug lingo, literary references, and utter nonsense.
Holly Bowling – Better Left Unsung 2xCD (The Royal Potato Family)
Holly Bowling’s Better Left Unsung is a collection of classical solo piano arrangements of the music of The Grateful Dead. [Vinyl edition due January 6.]
John Coltrane – Trane 90 4xCD (Acrobat)
A four-disc anthology charting Coltrane’s journey from sideman to star, covering his seminal work with leaders including Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk, through his horn for hire phase as one of New York’s hottest new jazz talents. Also includes his performances with Sonny Rollins, Eric Dolphy, Cecil Taylor, Art Blakey, Cannonball Adderley, Tadd Dameron, Milt Jackson, Dizzy Gillespie, and more.
The Coasters – The Complete Singles As & Bs 1954-62 2xCD (Acrobat)
The Coasters were one of the vocal groups of the ’50s and early ’60s who bridged the gap between the doo-wop and R&B eras of the early ’50s through to the rock ‘n’ roll explosion and beyond, with a run of hits that extended into the 1960s. They began life as a spin-off from the doo-wop group The Robins, adopted by the up-and-coming songwriting and production team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller as a vehicle for their work, changing their name after their first hit from The Robins to The Coasters as they switched from Leiber & Stoller’s Spark label to the Atlantic subsidiary Atco when the duo signed a production deal with the label. This double-CD set comprises all their A and B-sides as The Robins and The Coasters from their Spark debut in 1954 through to 1962, plus, as a bonus, the two titles which appeared on their albums during the period and were not otherwise released on singles.
The Cretones – Thin Red Line [Reissue/1980] CD (Verve)
The Cretones’ power pop album, Thin Red Line, was the debut release from a band of seasoned L.A. musicians, featuring Mark Goldenberg, Peter Bernstein, Steve Beers and Steve Leonard. Originally released in the spring of 1980, the album has been out of print for more than 30 years and has never been available on CD. This reissue includes three previously unreleased bonus tracks.
Skeeter Davis – Complete RCA Singles As & Bs 1953-62 2xCD (Acrobat)
Country star Skeeter Davis enjoyed a chart career that lasted nearly a quarter of a century from the early ‘50s through to 1976, her personality and the quality of her voice enabling her to adapt to the changing idioms within the genre. Coming to prominence in the pop charts as she did with the iconic hit “The End Of The World”, many fans may well be unaware of the dues that she paid before that major success which saw her almost top the US pop charts. By the time that classic record was released towards the end of 1962 – it is in fact the last single to be featured in this collection – she had already had a significant career focused purely on the country market, recording initially with her friend Bette Jack Davis as The Davis Sisters and then, after a break of a couple of years, resuming her career as a solo artist in 1958. This double-CD set comprises the A and B side of every single she released on RCA from her 1953 debut as part of The Davis Sisters and then as a solo artist through to the end of 1962, plus seven bonus tracks selected from her two solo albums.
Death Fetishist – Clandestine Sacrament CD (Debemur Morti)
Death Fetishist enmesh cascades of swirling, alienating phrases inside claustrophobic songcraft to inspire grim hypnosis.
Enslaved – Eld [Reissue/1997] CD (Season Of Mist)
CD reissue of the third album from the Norwegian Viking/black metal band.
Gensu Dean – R.A.W. (Refined Alkaline Water) CD (Mello Music)
Veteran producer Gensu Dean (for David Banner, Ol Dirty Bastard, CL Smooth, Planet Asia, etc.) comes back with his first compilation since Lo Fi Fingahz. The new project is as rugged as the name implies and features artists like Diamond D, Homeboy Sandman, Roc Marciano and more. [Vinyl edition due January 20.]
Enemies – Valuables CD/LP (Topshelf)
“Enemies have been creating expansive and immediate rock music for almost a decade and, going into recording their third full-length, the Irish group decided to disband after its release: ‘By accepting the end all of the pressure was gone,’ they wrote in a note when they announced the album and their breakup a few weeks ago. ‘We were now able to see everything from a new perspective. Our egos had dropped off.’ And so their final album, Valuables, feels free from the weight of expectation.” – Stereogum
Roberto Fonseca – ABUC CD (Impulse!)
Teeming with rascally rhythms and burly brass and woven from allusions, souvenirs and contrasts, ABUC is a kaleidoscope of dancing colors with which Roberto tells a story: the great and rich story of Cuban music, from yesterday to today.
Merle Haggard – Live At Church Street Station ’86 CD (Javelin)
Church Street Station — one of the longest running country TV shows ever — aired on the Nashville Network in the ‘80s and featured classic performances by many iconic country stars.
Jeff Healey – Holding On: A Heal My Soul Companion CD (Provogue)
Released in March of 2016 on what would have been his 50th birthday, Heal My Soul is a ‘lost’ album comprising twelve previously unheard tracks, retrieved from the Healey vaults. Featuring five rare Jeff Healey studio tracks that were all recorded during the same period as Heal My Soul (‘96-’98) and a concert recorded in Oslo, Norway in 1999, Holding On: A Heal My Soul Companion is a companion to that release.
Keith Hudson – Pick A Dub [Reissue/1974] CD/2xLP (VP)
Keith Hudson’s Pick A Dub is a classic album by many standards; released in 1974, the session features performances from reggae legends Augustus Pablo, Big Youth and Carlton and Aston Barrett. The album’s “oeaustere sonic qualities” are awe-inspiring; the superb rhythms given full rein, unencumbered by extra effects and studio trickery.
George Jones – Live At Church Street Station ’88 CD (Javelin)
Church Street Station — one of the longest running country TV shows ever — aired on the Nashville Network in the ‘80s and featured classic performances by many iconic country stars.
The Last Shadow Puppets – The Dream Synopsis CDEP/12” (Domino)
The Last Shadow Puppets — Arctic Monkeys’ Alex Turner & Miles Kane — return with a follow up EP to this year’s studio album Everything You’ve Come To Expect. The EP compiles studio recordings of new versions of EYCTE tracks “Aviation” and “The Dream Synopsis” as well as covers of Leonard Cohen, Jacques Dutronc, The Fall, and Glaxo Babies performed in the band’s live sets this past year.
The Little Richard Band – California I’m Comin CD (Hitman)
A collection of fusion of jazz, funk, blues and rock ‘n’ roll, this album features nine previously unreleased mid- ‘70s tracks from Little Richard and his band.
Mississippi Fred McDowell – Shake ‘Em On Down: Live In NYC 2xCD (Sunset Blvd)
Bluesman Mississippi Fred McDowell was riding that wave when he stopped off at the Gaslight Café in Greenwich Village NYC on November 5, 1971. Fred was playing electric guitar with bassist Honest Tom Pomposello. McDowell’s Gaslight sets were taped by Fred Seibert and initially intended for broadcast over the airwaves of Columbia University’s WKCR-FM. Nine songs were selected for the 1972 album Live In New York, the inaugural release of Seibert, Pomposello, and third partner Dick Pennington’s Oblivion Records label. A great many more additional selections recorded that night have surfaced since then, which are included on this bountiful reissue.
Shane Owens – Where I’m Comin’ From CD (Amerimonte)
Debut album from the country music singer/songwriter.
Post Malone – Stoney CD (Republic)
Debut album from the multi-platinum Dallas, TX rapper. Stoney contains additional production from DJ Mustard, FKi, Illangelo, Pharrell, and others. Justin Bieber appears on album track “Déjà Vu.” Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds four bonus tracks. “A lot of cool sh*t on there,” he said.
Satanic Warmaster – Black Metal Kommando/Gas Chamber [Reissue/2005] CD (Werewolf)
Finnish black metal, founded in 1998 or 1999. This is a CD reissue of a 2005 compilation comprised of tracks originally intended for the band’s first release, paired with demo and other rare tracks.
Shape Of Despair – Alone In The Mist CD/2xLP (Season Of Mist)
Official release of the funeral doom metal band’s 1998 demo.
Soggy – Soggy CD/LP (Outer Battery)
Forming in 1978, Soggy started with covers of Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath, MC5 and the Stooges but quickly began writing their own songs and developed a unique style, mixing hard rock and punk rock in a Stooges vein. In April of ’81 the Waiting For The War 7” was released and a video was shot for French TV. After more than 100 concerts the band split in July of 1982 but their cult status has only grown over the years.
Soundtrack – Fellini Satyricon [OST/Reissue/1970] CD/LP (Rustblade)
Satyricon (1969) was one of the few adaptations helmed by Fellini during his career, based on the fragmented novel of the same title by Petronius. Described as one of the most profoundly Controversial movie in all history, the story tells the picaresque journey of a former gladiator, who is in search of his boy lover. Nino Rota composed one of his most unusual scores for the film, evoking barbaric rhythms and ancient-sounding instruments to underscore the colorful visual cacophony of the film.
Soundtrack – Fright Night [OST/Reissue/1985] CD (Perseverance)
Soundtrack from the cult classic features music by J.Geils Band, Devo, Autograph, Ian Hunter, Sparks and the theme for Come To Me by composer Brad Fiedel.
Soundtrack – Hairspray LIVE! Original Soundtrack Of The NBC Television [OST] Event CD (Masterworks Broadway)
Hairspray LIVE! stars exciting newcomer Maddie Baillio, Dove Cameron, Kristin Chenoweth, Garrett Clayton, Harvey Fierstein (recreating his Tony Award-winning performance), Ariana Grande, Derek Hough, Jennifer Hudson, Martin Short, Ephraim Sykes and Shahadi Wright Joseph, with special appearances by Billy Eichner, Sean Hayes, Andrea Martin and Rosie O’Donnell. Based on the Tony and Grammy Award-winning Broadway musical, Hairspray LIVE! takes place in 1962 Baltimore.
Soundtrack – Hidden Figures: The Album CD (Sony)
Soundtrack to the film featuring Pharrell Williams, Janelle Monae, Lalah Hathaway, Mary J. Blige, and Kim Burrell.
Soundtrack – La la Land [OST] CD (Interscope)
Original soundtrack to the 2016 romantic musical comedy-drama film written and directed by Damien Chazelle and starring Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, John Legend, Rosemarie DeWitt, and J. K. Simmons. Composed and orchestrated by Justin Hurwitz, the soundtrack features vocal performances from Stone and Gosling, with lyrics written by Pasek and Paul. [Vinyl edition due December 16.]
Southside Johnny And The Asbury Jukes – Into The Harbour [Reissue/2005] CD (LeRoy)
Southside Johnny And The Asbury Jukes – Hearts Of Stone Live [Reissue/2009] CD (LeRoy)
Into The Harbor features eleven great rock and R&B songs from Southside Johnny including covers of the Rolling Stones’ “Happy” and Tom Waits’ “Hang Down Your Head.” The band’s 2009 live album celebrating their 1978 album Hearts Of Stone includes two tracks meant for the original album but were shelved.
Spazz – Sweatin’ II: Deported Live Gorilla CD (Tank Crimes)
35 tracks from 1995-1996 compiled from splits with Subversion (1995, Deported Records) and Romantic Gorilla (1996, Sound Pollution Records) plus a full live set from KFJC radio (1996). Everything remastered, or in some cases mastered for the first time by Dan Randall at Mammoth Sound. Originally released on 625 Records in 2001 and out of print for 15 years. The Romantic Gorilla split tracks have been added to this redux edition.
Sun Ra – Singles: The Definitive 45s Collection Vol. 1: 1952-1991 3xCD (Strut)
Sun Ra – Singles: The Definitive 45s Collection Vol. 1: 1952-1961 3xLP (Strut)
The immense output of Sun Ra and his many backing bands, coupled with the limited production of many of his releases has long defied dedicated collectors. Parallel to a vast list of LP releases, Sun Ra released numerous 45rpm singles; one-off meteorites from his prolific cosmic journey. Working closely with Sun Ra LLC and Art Yard Records, it is with great pride that Strut presents a definitive collection of the rare singles released by Sun Ra across his illustrious career, spanning 1952 to 1991 on a triple-CD set and across two volumes on vinyl. [Vol. II: 1962-1991 of the vinyl edition is due March 2017, along with a 10×7” box set.]
Sun Ra/Merzbow – Strange City CD/LP (Cold Spring)
Officially licensed from Irwin Chusid of the Sun Ra estate, Cold Spring’s Justin Mitchell negotiated rare and unreleased tracks from the Sun Ra archive to be remixed and treated by Masami Akita. The tracks incorporate the jazz power of Sun Ra, carried into brutal excess by the legendary Japanese artist, Merzbow.
Paul Thorn – Best Of Paul Thorn (Includes: The Acoustic Show) 2xCD (Perpetual Obscurity)
This new collection includes all of Paul’s fan favorites on one disc, and a bonus CD of a live acoustic performance. Paul Thorn has created an innovative and impressive career, pleasing crowds with his muscular brand of roots music – bluesy, rocking and thoroughly Southern American, yet also speaking universal truths.
Throane – Derrière Nous, La Lumière CD (Debemur Morti)
“A truly demented release, this is the kind of album that cultivates horrifying soundscapes and uses harsh distortion and ambient moments in conjunction with brutal blasts to create a soundworld that you can only want to claw yourself out of.” — Metal Injection
The True Werwolf – Death Music [Reissue/2012] CD (Werewolf)
The True Wewolf is a black metal/dark ambient band from Lappeenranta. This is a CD reissue of their 2012 EP/rarities collection.
Lee Wiley – The Lee Wiley Collection: 1931-57 3xCD (Acrobat)
Lee Wiley was a jazz and big band singer whose career began in the sophisticated orchestral era of the early ‘30s and encompassed swing and small band work through the ‘30s and early ‘40s before hooking up with Eddie Condon’s band in mid-decade, and going on to make some highly regarded albums in the ‘50s. She was at once both distinctive and versatile, her smoky contralto voice enabling her to range across moody small group blues and after-hours material, swinging up-tempo big band arrangements and lush easy listening recordings alike. This triple-CD collection selects chronologically from recordings made in the core quarter-century or so of her career, beginning with work with the orchestras of Leo Reisman, Victor Young and Paul Whiteman in the early ‘30s.
Roger Williams – Collection 1954-62 2xCD (Acrobat)
Very few instrumentalists can match the chart success of American pianist Roger Williams, who had well over thirty chart entries during his career, and came to fame with his 1955 debut hit “Autumn Leaves,” which remains the only piano instrumental to reach No. 1 in the Billboard pop charts, selling over two million copies in the process. A classically-trained pianist, who also studied jazz piano at New York’s renowned Juilliard School of Music, he was signed to the Kapp label after winning a talent contest, and was launched to fame with his second release for the label. This double-CD collection is drawn entirely from his A and B-sides released by Kapp during the period, with the majority of his releases during the period represented by at least one side, with both the A and B sides of many of his releases included.
Tammy Wynette – Live At Church Street Station ’86 CD (Javelin)
Church Street Station — one of the longest running country TV shows ever — aired on the Nashville Network in the ‘80s and featured classic performances by many iconic country stars.
DVDs + Blu-ray:
Peter Paul and Mary – 50 Years With Peter Paul and Mary DVD (Peter Paul and Mary)
The artistic legacy of the folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary is being celebrated in a PBS documentary. Comprised of Peter Yarrow, Noel Paul Stookey and Mary Travers, who died in 2009, the trio began performing at clubs in New York in 1961 and released their first album in 1962. With hits including “Blowin’ In The Wind,” “If I Had A Hammer” and “Leaving On A Jet Plane,” they were popular and politically active in the 1960’s, but disbanded in 1970. It reunited in 1978 at a benefit opposing nuclear power, and toured after that, often performing in support of political causes.
Sad Vacation: The Last Days Of Sid And Nancy DVD (MVD Visual)
Sad Vacation is an up close and personal account of the tumultuous and stormy relationship between Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen and how it ended in Room 100 of the Chelsea Hotel. Directed by Danny Garcia (The Rise And Fall Of The Clash, Looking For Johnny), this films holds no punches and reveals the facts through personal friends, insiders and witnesses providing a firsthand account of Sid and Nancy’s mysterious deaths. Includes interviews with Sylvain Sylvain (New York Dolls), Bob Gruen, Walter Lure (The Heatbreakers), Leee Black Childers, Howie Pyro (D Generation), Kenny Gordon (Pure Hell), Cynthia Ross (The B- Girls) and many more.
Waka Flocka – Trap Going Techno DVD (226 Film Production)
Concert based DVD filmed at The International in Knoxville, TN featuring all sorts of shenanigans, including DJ Whoo Kid giving a champagne shower to fine female fans, a wheelchair-bound fan getting a lapdance and free champagne, and more.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
All Get Out – Nobody Likes A Quitter LP (Favorite Gentlemen/Bad Timing)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Produced by and co-written with Manchester Orchestra’s Andy Hull and Robert McDowell, All Get Out’s Nobody Likes A Quitter (released via Manchester Orchestra’s Favorite Gentlemen Recordings and Bad Timing Records) was written and recorded over the course of a year and, as such, is a highly collaborative yet entirely cohesive effort from the three longtime friends. Hussey traveled to Atlanta every few months to work on the album with Hull and McDowell, then he’d return home to Texas to tweak and ruminate on the material they’d created together. This process allowed the trio to marry intense bursts of creativity with periods of thoughtfulness and care.
Roland Alphonso with The Originals Orchestra – ABC Rocksteady [Reissue/1968] LP (Dubstore)
Vinyl reissue of a rare and seriously sought after instrumental album of Gay Feet rocksteady hits from 1968. Eleven elegant instrumental tracks, and one female vocal, showcasing the tenor sax artistry of master musician Roland Alphonso, ably assisted by Aubrey Adams on organ and the inestimable Lynn Taitt on guitar, interpreting a selection of Mrs Pottinger’s most memorable hits of the era.
Amiina – Fantôma 2xLP+MP3 (Mengi)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Fantômas is melancholic and ethereal, yet full of suspense, pounding rhythms, and haunting melodies; A sound world full of contrasts, from darkness and utter terror, to heavenly melodies. Violin, cello, drums, percussion, metallophone, table harp, ukulele, and electronics are the source material for the sound world of Amiina here, but it is expanded upon with their intelligent and imaginative usage of the different instruments and their varied and endless textures.
The Beatnuts featuring Big Punisher & Cuban Link – Off The Books 7” (Get On Down)
The Beatnuts “Off The Books” became one of the biggest records of ’97 with the Nuts just sticking to their formula, dusty ass beats and funny punchlines.
Blink 182 – Dude Ranch [Reissue/1997] LP (SRCVinyl)
Third 2016 vinyl repress of the SoCal pop-punk band’s second album. Limited color vinyl.
Body/Head – No Waves LP+MP3 (Matador)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Body/Head is the duo of Kim Gordon (Sonic Youth, Free Kitten) and guitarist Bill Nace (Northampton Wools, Celyon Mange). They play experimental, free-form guitar drones highlighted by Gordon’s unmistakable voice. Their sound is an immersive, three-dimensional experience and no two performances are similar. No Waves was recorded on March 24th, 2014 during Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, TN at the Bijou Theater.
Candy Now! – Candy Now! [2009] LP (MVD Audio)
Candy Now! is a new band from Northern California combining retro lounge music with the dueling voices of Blag Dahlia (Dwarves) and Angelina Moysov and a cast of singers and players from all over the indie rock map. Creepy and atmospheric smoky lounge jams.
Carthago – Alech 12” (Habibi Funk)
Rare tunisian disco including unreleased instrumentals.
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis – Hell Or High Water [OST] LP (Milan)
Released in August on CD – now available on vinyl. Directed by David Mackenzie Hell Or High Water is a heist film starring Ben Foster, Chris Pine and Jeff Bridges. Based on the infamous 2012 Black List script, the film is set in West Texas, in an area formerly known as Comancheria, and tells the story of two brothers who plan a bank robbery to save their family farm. Nick Cave and his musical partner Warren Ellis deliver a ravishing score perfectly fitting the dry and arid landscape in which the characters strive to survive.
Clem Snide – You Were A Diamond [1998] LP (HHBTM)
Originally released in 1998 – now available for the first time on vinyl. Clem Snide’s masterpiece debut combines guitars, cello, upright bass, banjo, saw and clarinet to a hauntingly beautiful effect. Named for the William Burroughs’ character, guitarist/lyricist/vocalist Eef Barzelay had the uncanny ability to be both sweet and sarcastic at the same time.
Leonard Cohen – You Want It Darker LP (Columbia)
Recently released on CD – now available on limited 180gm vinyl. “For the past 25 years I’ve had this notion that on every successive Leonard Cohen record his voice would get deeper and deeper until one day he’d put out an album so subsonic that you’d just feel it, not hear it. Well, we’re close. ‘You Want It Darker,’ the title track to his 14th studio album in a 49-year recording career, speaks of a world without hope. ‘A million candles burning / for the love that never came. / You want it darker / we kill the flame.’ Despite the depth of his voice and the strength and wisdom of his writing, I discern a frailness. What I hear are multiple takes on just this one track and a few edits within a verse. Listen at 2:06 — you can hear an edit right in mid-breath just after the line ‘middle-class and tame.’ And shortly after, Cohen says, ‘I’m ready my Lord,’ and the choir sullenly and eerily keeps the tone dark.” – NPR
Dead Can Dance – Toward The Within [Reissue/1994] 2xLP (4AD)
Released in October 1994 and out of print on vinyl ever since, Toward The Within was an audio and video document of the 1993 sell-out Dead Can Dance World tour. Recorded at the Mayfair Theater in Santa Monica, California, it marked one of the final performances at the historic theatre as it later suffered major structural damage in an earthquake in 1994. Despite being a live recording, Toward The Within includes twelve previously unrecorded tracks as well as material from their six previous studio albums.
The Decemberists – The Crane Wife 10th Anniversary Edition 5xLP+Blu-ray (Capitol)
This is a five-LP plus Blu-ray set containing the 2006 album, B-sides, alternate takes and demos and a complete live video performance from the 9:30 Club on The Crane Wife tour. Housed in a lift-top box.
Paul Desmond – Desmond Blue LP (Analog Spark)
Originally released as part of RCA Victor’s Living Stereo series in 1962, Desmond Blue is a sonic spectacular that features alto saxophonist Paul Desmond at his best. Although perhaps best known as a member of The Dave Brubeck Quartet and composter of “Take Five,” Desmond’s solo effort is a welcome spotlight on his immense talent. 180gm.
DJ Snake – Encore 2xLP (Interscope)
Released in August on CD – now available on vinyl. William Grigahcine, better known by his stage name DJ Snake, is a French DJ and producer mixing hip-hop and electronic music. He has previously worked with Lady Gaga and has remixed tracks by Kanye West, AlunaGeorge, Duck Sauce, and Major Lazer.
Mike Doughty – Heart Watches While The Brain Burns LP (Snackbar)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. “The former frontman of alt rock band Soul Coughing, Mike Doughty is on a constant mission to strive for the new. His ninth, and most recent solo album, The Heart Watches While The Brain Burns, was recorded during the time he moved from New York, which had served as his home base since the 1980s, to Memphis Tennessee, which he described as a ‘fascinating, mysterious town.’ ‘I Can’t Believe I Found You In That Town,’ the first track from the album, was inspired by a failed attempt at romance in England’s north. The song is a rollicking good tune, with Mike’s raspy, almost drawling vocal, and the driving guitar and country style drumming propel the song with a great force right through to the end – when all drops and you’re left with Mike’s vocals alone – poignant and forlorn, suggesting the love has ended.” – Essentially Pop
Ronnie Dunn – Tattooed Heart LP (Nash Icon)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. New from the country music artist best known as the latter half of duo Brooks & Dunn. Tattooed Heart includes the single “Damn Drunk,” which features Kix Brooks. The 13 tracks were recorded in Nashville with Rascal Flatts’ Jay Demarcus serving as producer on 11 of them and longtime pal Reba McEntire contributing to “Still Feels Like Mexico” with Tommy Lee James producing.
Dwarves – Are Younger & Even Better Looking [Reissue/1997] 2xLP+MP3 (Burger)
Dwarves – Invented Rock & Roll [Reissue/2014] LP+MP3 (Burger)
The Dwarves’ 1997 Satanic pop-punk classic Are Young & Even Better Looking” is back in print on vinyl with 22 bonus tracks. The band’s 2014 album Invented Rock & Roll is also back in print on vinyl.
Earl Lee Grace – Blackgrass [1995] LP+MP3 (Burger)
Originally released by Sympathy For The Record Industry on CD in 1995 – now available for the first time on vinyl courtesy of Burger. Earl Lee Grace is Blag Dahlia from The Dwarves.
Erasure – Tomorrow’s World [2011] 2xLP (Mute)
Erasure – Snow Globe [2013] 2xLP (Mute)
First-time vinyl editions now available.
Eve 6 – Eve 6 [1998] LP (Independent Label Services, Inc.)
The ‘90s rock staple first released their debut album in 1998 via RCA/Sony. The album received huge mainstream success, with the single “Inside Out” hitting #1 on modern rock radio. The album would ultimately achieve platinum status with sales in excess of 1 million copies. First time (red color) vinyl pressing.
Ghostface Killah featuring Raekwon – Bulletproof Wallets [Reissue/2001] 2xLP (Get On Down)
Filled with the usual Ghost slang, bass heavy production, Bulletproof Wallets dropped not long after 2000’s Supreme Clientele without skipping a beat.
Michael Giacchino – Star Trek Beyond [OST] 2xLP (Varese Sarabande)
Acclaimed composer Michael Giacchino helms the music duties for Star Trek Beyond as he did with the past two films.
Gucci Mane – Everybody Looking 2xLP+CD (Atlantic)
Released last July on CD – now available on vinyl. Everybody Looking is Gucci Mane’s first album since his being released from prison. After his release from prison, Guwop quickly got back in the studio with his day one producer, Zaytoven, who expressed nothing but excitement at Gucci Mane getting back to work. He told HipHopDX that his friend didn’t skip a beat after being locked away for three years. “Gucci is a guy that I think that has a sound that has created a way, even if you listen to the music today, it’s all, like 90 percent of it stems from the rap music that Gucci really created maybe 10 years ago,” he said, “so he just got out and got back to business, got back to doing what he do. Just like me, the sound I’ve created and the sound I have I’ve been doing since we’ve started, so there’s nothing that we really had to go and change. Of course we kinda sparked it up a little bit, added a few new things, we started working. But for the most part, he got back to doing what he been doing before he left. He knew how to do that so good, as you can see, he dropped so much music while he was gone, people hardly know he was gone.” [Limited double-LP red & blue color vinyl pressing with bonus CD.]
Friedrich Gulda Orchestra – Jazz At Auditorium LP (Sonorama)
New album of previously unreleased music recorded 1962 at Auditorium Maximum/ Freie Universität in Berlin. Austrian genius Friedrich Gulda on piano and baritone saxophone, leading a 13-piece, top-shelf lineup of players featuring Benny Bailey, Erich Kleinschuster, Georg Riedel, Fatty George, Arne Domnérus and Ack van Rooyen. Sparkling modern jazz in front of an excited audience, including Parker’s “Anthropology”, Monk’s “Round About Midnight” plus original material by Gulda and Riedel, with world premiere of “Music For Three Soloists And Band”.
In Her Own Words – Unfamiliar LP (Invogue)
Debut full-length album filled with pop punk anthems. [Limited pink color vinyl pressing also available. CD edition due January 13.]
Jamestown Revival – The Education Of A Wandering Man LP+MP3 (Republic)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Jamestown Revival is a critically acclaimed Austin, TX duo made up of Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance who blend literary storytelling, rock ‘n’ roll grit, indie spirit, and country soul.
Kaiser Chiefs – Stay Together 2xLP (Kaiser Chiefs Recordings)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. “This sixth record sees the band take this nondescript sound and stuff it impressively full of sing-a-long hooks, covering topics including monogamy (‘We Stay Together’) and shagging (‘Good Clean Fun’). As with Coldplay’s last album, there’s an underlying disco flavor here, with this more British strain calling to mind a tamed Pet Shop Boys (although, in a rare risky move, Ricky Wilson opts to don a strangely satisfying Leo Sayer falsetto on ‘High Society’). Overall it feels like a kind of gentrified pop: synthetic and nondescript, but predictably appealing all the same.” – The Guardian
Charles Kelley – Live From Capitol Studios 10” (Capitol Nashville)
Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelly releases a live EP of select tracks from his solo debut album The Driver.
Kid Rock – Kid Rock [Reissue/2003] 2xLP (WB)
Kid Rock – Live Tucker [Reissue/2006] 2xLP (WB)
Kid Rock’s back catalogue continues to be reissued on vinyl in batches. His sixth album, Kid Rock, and Live Trucker are the latest.
Kleenex/Liliput – First Songs 2xLP (Kill Rock Stars)
You can’t dispute legendary Swiss punk band from the late ‘70s Kleenex later named Liliput’s status as pioneers of feminist art-punk. Along with fellow travelers like The Slits and The Raincoats, this (mostly) female Swiss group took advantage of punk’s anything-goes attitude and created jittery, spirited pop that was both in step with the times and completely singular. The early material is a riot of exuberant energy, taking stylistic cues from peers like Gang Of Four and Wire — propulsive bass, skittering pop rhythms, slashing guitars — and adding distinctive overlapping vocal patterns, which are sung, shrieked, and hiccupped in three languages and made-up dadaistic slang. More than 20 years on, it still sounds fresh.
Tory Lanez – I Told You 2xLP (Interscope)
Released last August on CD – now available on vinyl. Debut studio album by Canadian rapper Tory Lanez. Contributors include Benny Blanco, Kanye West. Boi-1da, Play Picasso, OZ, YeX, Ed Sheeran, Cashmere Cat, Andrew Wansel, Mannie Fresh, Toro, Droc, Diplo, TM88, S.M., Cardo, Eeesk Inteel, and Vinylz.
Lite/Mouse On The Keys – Split LP (Topshelf)
“This is a rather enjoyable – if too short – EP from two of Japan’s foremost math rock acts. Mouse On The Keys are very much piano/keyboard driven, in contrast to Lite’s guitar shredding heroics.” – Ech(((o)))es And Dust
Reed Mathis & Electric Beethoven – Beathoven 2xLP (The Royal Potato Family)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. After cutting his teeth in Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey and Tea Leaf Green, bassist extraordinaire Reed Mathisestablished himself in the Grateful Dead world with membership in Billy & The Kids, The Rhythm Devils, Mickey Hart Band, Steve Kimock Band and the Golden Gate Wingmen. But Mathis’ first love was always Ludwig van Beethoven. With his new Electric Beethoven project, Mathis did the unthinkable and fused all of his worlds together, bringing old world masterpieces by Beethoven to today’s premiere musical improvisers – an elite class of live performers who have individually made names for themselves in every genre except classical: jazz, funk, folk, blues, and jam rock. Reed Mathis’ new album Beathoven presents Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 and Symphony No. 6, in their entirety, with an “orchestra” that features members of Phish, Pearl Jam, Galactic, Greyboy Allstars, The Barr Brothers, along with Joe Russo, Marco Benevento, and more.
Mac Miller – The Divine Feminine 2xLP (WB)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The Divine Feminine is an album about women, for women. It includes guest contributions from Kendrick Lamar, CeeLo Green, Anderson .Paak, Ty Dolla $ign, Ariana Grande, and Chicago singer Njomza. “‘It was actually a concept that was told to me about just the energy of the world being a female energy, the energy of the planet,’ Miller said of the album’s title during an interview with Beats 1 Radio’s Zane Lowe. ‘And just kind of like how that mirrors the soul of a woman, and you know, like Mother Earth and falling in love with the universe.’ On The Divine Feminine’s first single, ‘Dang!,’ the rapper is in a more crooning, reflective mode as he sings of the allure and confusion that comes with a relationship over a smooth funk groove. ‘It’s an album that’s all about the journey that is love,’ he told Lowe and the vibe of the first single fits into that concept. He also revealed that the album initially began as an EP, but he found that as he got deeper into the material, he had to further ‘shed light on the topic.’” – Rolling Stone
Napalm Death – Scum [Reissue/1987] LP (Earache)
“Full Dynamic Range” vinyl repress of the influential UK hardcore/grindcore/thrash band’s debut album.
Nechochwen – Heart of Akamon LP (Bindrune)
Formed in 2005, West Virginia’s Nechochwen is the passionate exploration of Native American Indian heritage through stunning classical guitar instrumentation and lush atmosphere.
Nouvelle Vague – I Could Be Happy LP (Kwaidan)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Nouvelle Vague’s I Could Be Happy adds the novelty of self-written tunes to the band’s usual relaxed covers from superior rock and pop catalogues. Songs from The Ramones, The Cure and others get radical makeovers. Four originals in three languages in the band’s familiar styles close out the album.
Laura Nyro – Eli And The Thirteenth Confession [Reissue/1968] LP (Analog Spark)
Laura Nyro – New York Tendaberry [Reissue/1968] LP (Analog Spark)
Limited edition AAA (all analog) pressings of Laura Nyro’s first two albums. Mastered and cut from the original tapes by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound. 180gm LPs plated and pressed at RTI, and housed in a Stoughton old style tip-on jackets with original lyric inserts.
One Republic – Oh My My 2xLP (Interscope)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. One Republic’s fourth album includes the new single “Kids,” the summer hit “Wherever I Go” and new collaborations with Peter Gabriel, Santigold, Cassius and more.
Panopticon/Waldgeflüster – Panopticon/Waldgeflüster (Split) LP (Bindrune)
“The union of Panopticon and Waldgeflüster is a survey of the beauty and rage of black metal in the new millennium.” – Invisible Oranges
Penetration Moon – Penetration Moon LP+MP3 (Burger)
Penetration Moon was an early ‘90s side project helmed by Dwarves’ Blag Dahlia wherein the band played their version of glam rock.
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers – The Complete Studio Albums Volume 1 (1976-1991) 9xLP (MCA)
The first nine Tom Petty albums each pressed on 180gm vinyl. Featuring Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers (1976), You’re Gonna Get It! (1978), Damn The Torpedoes (1979), Hard Promises (1980), Long After Dark (1982), Southern Accents (1985), Let Me Up (I’ve Had Enough) (1987), Full Moon Fever (1989), and Into The Great Wide Open (1991). All housed in a deluxe LP Box with flip top lid.
Pixies – Head Carrier [Deluxe Edition] LP+CD (PIAS America)
Deluxe slipcase containing a 12” rigid book housing Pixies recent new album on 180gm heavyweight black vinyl and CD, plus an exclusive 24-page concertina lyric booklet designed by renowned graphic artist Vaughan Oliver at V23.
Rae Sremmurd – SremmLife 2 LP (Eardruma/Interscope)
Released last August on CD – now available on vinyl. SremmLife 2 is the follow-up to brothers Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi’s platinum selling album SremmLife which debuted atop Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Rap albums chart, while cracking the Top 5 on the Top 200 Albums chart its first week. Executive produced by Mike WiLL Made-It (Rihanna, Beyoncé, 2 Chainz).
The Residents – Rushing Like A Banshee b/w Train vs. Elephant 7” (Psychophon)
“Rushing Like A Banshee” and its B-side “Train vs. Elephant” are two new tracks from The Residents upcoming album The Ghost Of Hope, slated for an early 2017 release. The album’s theme takes form on the subject of famous train wrecks throughout human history, with a refreshed lineup consisting of old familiar voices and semi-newcomer Eric Drew Feldman.
Ricky Eat Acid – Talk To You Soon LP (Terrible)
Ricky Eat Acid is the main project of musician/producer Sam Ray. Active under the name since 2009, Ray has released countless albums and singles, gleefully refusing to work along genre lines and instead crafting a tableau made up of everything from ambient/drone to candy colored, EDM-adjacent beats.
Ruin – He-Ho/Fiat Lux 2xLP (Southern Lord)
Long considered a treasured local delicacy of Philadelphia’s earlier hardcore scene, Ruin released two albums during their original run, 1984’s He-Ho and 1986’s Fiat Lux, both of which are combined for this release. Labelled from their early days as a Buddhist hardcore band (though not strictly the truth), Ruin are an object of intrigue that have rewarded the curious since 1982, but getting your hands on either out of print He-Ho or Fiat Lux has never been an easy task. A recorded output that totals 28 tracks (including a couple of significant Leonard Cohen covers that were praised by the artist himself) are available here including original scans of the detailed lyric sheets and inserts, as well as in depth retrospective notes that help to place Ruin in
Philly and punk history.
RVIVR – RVIVR LP (Don Giovanni)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Formed in 2008 by Mattie Jo Canino (guitar/voice), Erica Freas (guitar/voice) and Kevin Rainsberry (drums), RVIVR loves to play punk rock. They are known for their genre bending catchiness, earnest, irresistible dual vocals and their outspoken desire for inclusion and accessibility at their shows. Especially advocating for women, queer and trans access to the stage and show space.
Senses Fail – Let It Enfold You [Reissue/2004] LP (Vagrant)
Senses Fail – Still Searching [Reissue/2006] LP (Vagrant)
Post-hardcore scene staples Senses Fail formed in 2001 and released their debut EP, From The Depths Of Dreams in 2002 followed by their gold certified first full-length outing, Let It Enfold You in 2004. Heavily influenced by the poetry and literature of Joseph Campbell, Charles Bukowski and the Chinese sacred text Dao de Jing, Let It Enfold You is home to a handful of the group’s signature songs including “You’re Cute When You Scream,” ” Rum Is For Drinking, Not For Burning,” “Lady In a Blue Dress,” “Bite to Break the Skin” and “Buried A Lie.” A compelling concept album about depression, substance abuse and faith, the band’s sophomore album Still Searching features some of the most vulnerable and affecting songs of their career including “Can’t Be Saved,” “The Priest And The Matador,” “Shark Attack” and “Calling All Cars.”
Solange – A Seat At The Table 2xLP (Columbia)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. “The third album by Solange Knowles, A Seat At The Table, is a record about black survival in 2016; a combination of straight talk and refracted R&B for what she calls her ‘project on identity, empowerment, independence, grief and healing.’ Beyond titles that telegraph the album’s powerful, political backbone – ‘F.U.B.U.,’ ‘Mad,’ ‘Don’t Touch My Hair’ – it’s a fantastic-sounding LP that takes sonic cues from dusty soul sides while sounding as timely as a freshly sent tweet. Co-executive-produced by Solange and neo-soul sage Rapahel Saadiq, A Seat At The Table derives its sonic power from lightness, with Solange’s simply stated opinions landing harder as a result. A triptych of songs serve as invitations for people to check themselves: ‘Don’t You Wait’ pairs a stuttering bass line and Solange’s falsetto with lyrics about removing negative influences from her life; ‘Don’t Touch My Hair’ uses sparkling synths and drowsy horns as broadsides against those who might deny Solange and other black women their bodily autonomy; the trembling guitars of ‘Don’t Wish Me Well’ provide a glittery backdrop as Solange revels in her personal growth. ‘Junie,’ a lightly percolating shimmy that pays tribute to funk polymath Junie Morrison (Ohio Players, Parliament-Funkadelic), brings Andre 3000’s falsetto and a vamping piano into its heady mix.” – Rolling Stone
Soundtrack – Amer (Colona Sonora Originale Del Film) LP (We Release Whatever The F**k We Want)
First-ever vinyl release of the soundtrack for Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani’s critically-acclaimed Belgian-French giallo Amer (2009). Filled with superb compositions by Italian movie score legends Ennio Morricone, Stelvio Cipriani, and Bruno Nicolai, all remastered for hardcore audiophile appreciation.
Soundtrack – Easy Rider [OST/Reissue/1969] LP (MVD Audio)
Yellow translucent vinyl pressing.
Dave Stewart & The Spiritual Cowboys – Live At Rockpalast – Köln 1990 LP (Made In Germany Music)
When Dave Stewart (temporarily) split from the Eurythmics in 1990, he fronted a new band called The Spiritual Cowboys which had little to do with his synth pop past.
Stilla – Skuggflock LP (Bindrune)
Skuggflock is the third album from the Swedish black metal band and presents a highly interested blend between ‘90s black metal and ‘70s prog-rock ala Goblin.
SUMAC – Before You I Appear 12”+MP3 (Thrill Jockey)
SUMAC is the powerhouse trio of Aaron Turner (Isis, Old Man Gloom, Mamiffer), Nick Yacyshyn (Baptists) and Brian Cook (Russian Circles, These Arms Are Snakes). This new 12” contains 30 minutes of remixes from UK techno artist Samuel Kerridge, Bleed Turquoise (aka James Ginzburg of recent Thrill Jockey signees Emptyset), noise icon Kevin Drumm and Japanese catastrophic noise-metal group ENDON.
They Might Be Giants – Phone Power LP (Idlewild)
Released last June on CD – now available on vinyl. Boasting 18 pop gems, Phone Power continues the all-killer, no-filler tradition of the band’s current efforts. “The album mixes hints of Britpop and folk with a little bit of dirt and noise from glitchy electronics. Paired with the duos voices, it combines into a catchy and harmonious mixture.” — Under the Radar
Too Short – Blow The Whistle 7” (Get On Down)
Too Short’s 2006 certified club staple “Blow The Whistle” gets the 7” treatment.
Tower – Tower LP (The End)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Raised on a diet of pure 20th century rock, New York City’s Tower delivers riffs “like a newly discovered bolt of old cloth hidden away since the days of Scorpions and Judas Priest.”
Various Artists – Jazz Loves Disney 2xLP (Decca)
We all have a Walt Disney cartoon tune or melody in mind, reminding us of magic afternoons spent with our parents when we were kids or with our own children now that we are grown-ups. It is a bit of this special feeling and pleasure that artists such as Gregory Porter, Melody Gardot, Stacey Kent, Jamie Cullum and other leading music stars share with us on the new project produced by Jay Newland and arranged and directed by Rob Mounsey, as they perform big band jazz covers of songs that are part of every kids heritage.
Various Artists – Wake Up You! The Rise And Fall Of Nigerian Rock Vol. 2 1972-1977 2xLP (Strut)
This compilation does two things: It tells a historical story about a scene, with an accompanying 100-page book of photos and detailed notes, and is also a gorgeous set of funky music that you probably don’t know well enough.
Frank Zappa – Lumpy Gravy [Reissue/1968] LP (Zappa Records)
Frank Zappa – Cruising With Ruben & The Jets [Reissue/1968] LP (Zappa Records)
Frank Zappa/The Mothers Of Invention – We’re Only In It For The Money [Reissue/1968] LP (Zappa Records)
Frank Zappa – Weasels Ripped My Flesh [Reissue/1970] LP (Zappa Records)
Frank Zappa – Joe’s Garage [Reissue/1979] 3xLP (Zappa Records)
New vinyl reissues of classic Zappa titles now available.
Cassettes:
Neil Young – Peace Trail (Reprise)
Peace Trail features all new songs that Young wrote since the release of his album Earth, this past June. This new album is primarily acoustic and reflects an intimate, sparse approach to each of the ten songs within. It was recorded at Rick Rubin’s Shangri-la Studios and features Young on vocals and guitar, Jim Keltner on drums, and Paul Bushnell on bass.
Holiday Action:
John Fahey – Christmas With Vol. II [Reissue/1975] LP (Takoma)
Fingerstyle guitarist John Fahey followed on the success of his first Christmas record, 1968’s The New Possibility, with this 1975 title. Though the track list features traditional titles, the acoustic, solo and duet arrangements are anything but.
The Felice Brothers – Country Ham b/w Murder By Mistletoe 7” (Yep Roc)
Last year the Felice Brothers put together a Christmas EP, Felice Navidad, to benefit the Food Banks of the Hudson Valley, which works in upstate New York to alleviate hunger. The release was digital only, but this year one of the tracks, “Country Ham” is coming out in 7” form, backed with a version of “Murder by Mistletoe” which was recorded in January. “Country Ham” is fairly mournful as Christmas songs go, but full of feeling, and certainly fitting for the message last year’s EP was out to convey. “It’s a narrative about feeling lonely on Christmas, and the different emotions that can go with the holidays that aren’t always talked about in the happy-go-lucky songs,” Ian Felice said.
Kylie Minogue – Kylie Christmas (Snow Queen Edition) CD (WB)
Joyous 2015 festive album of seasonal classics and originals, reissued in 2016 with six bonus tracks including a cover of Rozalla’s “Everybody’s Free (To Feel Good).”
Matthew and Gunnar Nelson – This Christmas Too CD (Stone Canyon)
The sequel to last year’s This Christmas includes the single “This Christmas” featuring Carnie and Wendy Wilson.
Leave a Reply